Presently used methods of creating a software distribution package are incapable of building a custom distribution media package which incorporate unknown or updated software components available at remote server sites via the Internet. In fact, existing technology is incapable of creating from an existing distribution media package of a software suite, a custom distribution media package which includes only a subset of selected software components from the suite. It is axiomatic that the only media package available to an end user is one which has an original installation program designed to install an entire suite of software
A further disadvantage of the existing technology is that it does not integrate the Internet into the distribution media building process. This means that software components installed from a user's distribution media, whether it be a set of floppy diskettes or a CD-ROM, disk is probably an obsolete version, when compared with the same software that is available from the software developer/manufacturer via the Internet. Most software companies post new versions of their software and device drivers on the Internet in order to provide their users with greater functionality. Many large companies have Management Information Systems (MIS) support personnel, whose job it is to make the updated software available to the users whom they support. In addition to using updated distribution media, which are released by the software developer/manufacturer at regular intervals, the MIS support personnel also have the option to download more recent versions of supported software from Internet sites. Merely keeping track of updated software availability can be a time-consuming task, particularly if multiple Internet suites must be browsed manually in order to keep multiple software packages updated. Furthermore, in order to utilize updated software resident on servers accessible via the Internet, the following steps must be followed:
1. Each available software component must be downloaded from the remote server in a compressed executable form; PA1 2. The compressed files which make up the software component, as well as the associated setup files must be decompressed; PA1 3. The setup program must then be run in order to install the software on the local computer system; and PA1 4. If multiple end users require the updated software component, the setup steps must be run on each end user system. PA1 1. Providing on each original distribution media package, whether it be a set of diskettes, a removable disk or a CD-ROM or DVD disk an Internet download option, which the user can select in order to receive the most recent versions of components belonging to his software suite; PA1 2. Accessing the software developer's site on the Internet; PA1 3. Selecting which software components the user desires to include in the new distribution media package (these components could be a subset of available components, and it they may include components which were unknown when the original package was manufactured); PA1 4. For the software components which have been selected, comparing component files that reside on the original distribution media package with those that reside on the remote server, including the component installation data files; PA1 5. Identifying a mass storage medium on which the new distribution package will be created (for medium types of limited storage space such as floppy diskettes, the files are organized according to floppy diskette numbers, with respect to the size of each file and the amount of free space on a diskette); PA1 6. Copying required files to the new distribution medium (new files and updated versions of existing files are downloaded from the developer's Internet site, while sill current files are copied from the original media package); and PA1 7. Updating the installation data files, including the setup data files, to reference files from the new media package location.
What is needed is a more flexible process for creating distribution media. The process should be able not only to generate media containing only a subset of the original software suite, but it should integrate the Internet into the distribution media building process so that new and updated software components can be integrated into the media.